As if Life wasn't Hard Enough
by AutumnBreeze25
Summary: Dove's life has always been, well, complicated. How could it not be with a superhero for a dad? But what's a girl to do when her grandparents try to sue for the custody of her and her brother, the Red Hunter returns... [full summery inside]
1. Lily Called Dove

_AB25: Just give it a chance before you knock it!  
_

_Thanks to BlueMyst19 for betaing! _

_**DISCLAIMER**: I own nothing but the plot line and my OCs. Sucks, doesn't it? This goes for any and all chapters added to this story in the future.  
_

_---_

_Full Summery: _

_Dove's life has always been, well, complicated. How could it not be with a superhero for a dad? But what's a girl to do when her grandparents try to sue for the custody of her and her brother, the Red Hunter returns with a new ghost hunter in tow, and the powers she thought she had control of suddenly decided to give her trouble? One thing's for sure, the new guy at school who seems to like her isn't going to make things easier._

---

Chapter One: Lily Called Dove

--

_Password? . . . ? . . . ?_

PhentonFantom

_Number Code? . . . ? . . . ?_

5459-2473

_Secondary Password? . . . ? . . . ? _

ErikGOAWAY

_Processing . . . Loading . . . Diary Entry 1: _

"Lily Called Dove"

-

As you have probably gathered from my lame opening title, my name's Lily. It's Lilith technically, but after Tucker let it slip that I was named after a flour sack that smelled like beans, I insisted on going by my middle name. Only my grandpa is allowed to use my nickname Lily-Bird now. Sure Plasmius calls me Lilith to irk me, but it's gotten old.

Before I start pouring my heart and soul out to you, understand something you electronic diary, I have no desire to use you. You were a gift from Tucker, a family friend and computer genius. According to my aunt it's important for a young girl to express herself. My mom says since Tucker put any and all security measures known to man and woman alike in this, it's safe to say "mydad'sdannyphantomandihavesuperpowerstoolikeomg!"

Like _that's _going to happen.

But as with any gift, I have to use you at least three times before forgetting about all about you. But seriously, I'm not exactly one for diary keeping. I've tried in the past and have failed. Usually within a week at best.

So . . .

I have a small family. It's just me, my parents, and my older brother. I have one aunt, one uncle, one cousin, and another "aunt." Both pairs of my grandparents are alive, but we only speak to the Fentons. My mom and the Mansons have a history that I'd rather not go into right now.

My mom, Sam, is the owner and manager of a local art gallery which she opened when I started kindergarten. Amity Park isn't the best place to get art, but mom's pretty good about finding decent pieces. She works during the week, but only while Erik and I are at school.

You have to understand, Sam's not your typical mom. Instead of baking in the kitchen barefoot, she raids the organic bakery down the street in her trademark combat boots. Instead of singing lullabies, she sings rock songs. She was a goth in her youth, and retained some of that mindset to this day. She's a great mom though.

My dad, Danny, works at Axion Labs like Tucker but in the space department. As dismal as he is at math (heh, I get that from him), he was able to graduate college with honors in various scientific fields. He and Tucker are trying to save enough to buy a greater portion of Axion Labs from Dalv. They've got quite a bit put away. In their minds, the less Vlad Master owns of the company, the better.

Dad works as much as he can during the day, but my grandparents' Ghost Portal is still spitting out ghosts left and right. Tucker covers for him, and no one else in Dad's department really notices if he's gone. They've known him long enough to realize he disappears randomly.

You gotta love how, after all these years, no one's figured out that my dad and Phantom are one and the same. It's amazing really. I guess they look different enough, but Dad's name is so unoriginal.

My big bro, Erik, is very . . . well, he's Erik. There's nothing else to describe him. He takes after mom more then dad in the sense that he's calm and shows little emotion to the outside world. He goes by Shadow in his ghost form after a year of putting up with Erik Phantom. The fact that Erik's named after the Opera Ghost in the first place is a bit mean, but adding Phantom to the end?

Anyway, Erik and I get along pretty well. We started to get along better when I was around eleven (he was thirteen at the time) and we discovered we had ghost powers. It's amazing how being freaks of nature bring you together like that.

My aunt Jasmine is Dad's older sister. She's our school psychologist, a position she turned down many good offers for. Mom thinks she's crazy, but admires her all the same. Her husband, Brian, is a lawyer, and one of the best in Amity Park. They have only one daughter, my cousin, Azure. Azure just turned 19, and she's in her third year of pre-med (early admission).

My "aunt" Dani is my dad's clone. She was originally part of some twisted plot Plasmius cooked up, but realized that he was an evil fruit loop before too long. Aunt Jazz was able to stabilize her structure about ten years ago. As a result of an unusual chemical reaction, Dani ages twice as slowly as normal humans, making her appear to be in her mid twenties.

Outside of my family we only have a few close friends. Tucker, for example, has been friends with my parents since grade school. He went to a college on the East Coast where he met his wife, Sarisha. She spent most of her life traveling between NYC and the heart of India. Sari is a folklore and mythology professor at a local college. When you think about it, the fact that she and Tucker actually get along is a pretty amazing thing.

They have three daughters: Ceres, Shahrazad, and Nephthys. Nephthys is eight years old and is her mother's pet. Ceres and Shahrazad are fifteen-year-old twins and polar opposites. The only things they have in common are their toffee brown skin color and their dark eyes.

As much as he denies it, Erik likes Ceres. A lot of people would assume that Shahrazad would be the one he'd give his attention to (as one guy in my grade put it, "she's like some sort of exotic goddess"), but I know for a fact that my brother is anything but shallow. Shahrazad may be the beautiful one the outside, but Ceres is truly made of gold. She's one of the very few people that my parents let me tell our family secret.

My other best friend, Kendal, is the only Baxter welcome in our house. Unlike his bullying dad and his superficial mother, Ken's an artistic and real person. We first met in art class back in seventh grade. He insulted my painting of a lily and I insulted his clay dog. We've been friends ever since. We love to insult each others art work and joke about being genetic mistakes.

Beyond that circle of people, I don't socilize much. Mainly because I don't have much time, but there's also the factor that nearly ninety percent of my classmates are moronic and just plain fake. Creativity and orginality has deminished in our culture apparently. I do hold out hope though.

Aw crud, ghost sense just went off.

--:Dove out.

_---  
_

_And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd'  
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud  
And I know that you'll use them, however you want to_

_-- Breathe by Anna Nalick_

_---_

_AB25: Reviews/Feedback whole heartedly appreciated!_

_And while I do plan on updating this, when - exactly - is debatable. I've got college applications, schoolwork, as well as two other stories that I need to work on. I believe that those who are reading TWD will come after me with pitchforks and torches if I do not finish that story. And capn-nomy (from deviantart) and I are trying to work on this really cool idea of her's that revolves around the circus . . . yeah. _

_And if I didn't make any sense, I'm sorry. I'm currently braindead due to that five hour test they call the SATs.  
_


	2. And So the Story Begins

_AB25: It may have taken me longer then I had hoped, but I got the second chapter up. Another bright note - I'm finished TWD for the most part. I just need to write the epilogue, and then I will be able to focus more attention on this._

_-- _

Chapter Two - And So the Story Begins . . .

--  


"Echo," I began tiredly, "For once _think _before you act. Do you really want to be inside of the thermos again?" I shook the metal cylinder in her face.

The ghost glared at me. I had let her get away with a few things that I wouldn't let other ghosts do. My only explanation (well, excuse, really) was that she wasthe first ghost I'd ever met - we seemed to be friends at times. When I had met Echo, I was in my Greek mythology obsession stage.

Echo had actually been born in ancient Greece. Resembling her human form quite a bit, she wore a simple white dress, with a golden belt around her hips, a golden armband, and a slim golden circlet. She had long black hair and pale teal skin. The sad thing was, she was so stupd when it came to humans and how to exist along side them. Echo loved to freak humans out with her use of echoes. Dad, Erik, and I had to force her back in the ghost zone at least twice a month.

"Dusk," she said reproachfully, looking down at the busy sidewalk, "Just look - they're bored! They need some excitement in their lives."

"They're bored . . . in the ghost capital of the world?" I raised an eyebrow. "Echo, if you make me late for class, I'll let Erik come after you next time." Echo huffed in annoyence.

"Just _one_!"

"No!"

"Oh, come on! Don't you wish you could scare them instead of protect them? They're ungrateful creatures, you know."

"Some aren't like that."

"Most of them are."

"It doesn't matter what they think as long as I know I'm doing the right thing." Down below the first bell rang. "Echo, if you don't leave right this moment, I'm gonna - " Smirking, Echo shifted her form to mirror my own. Her color was washed out, but then, she was merely an echo of me.

"_'It doesn't matter as long as I know I'm doing the right thing_,'" she mocked. "I'm such a goody-two shoes and a daddy's girl."

Rolling my eyes, I sucked her into the thermos. There's never a dull moment with Echo around. Next time I really did plan on letting Erik deal with her. She was more cooroperative with him anyway.

I landed (fully human upon entering the building) in the school moments before the second bell rang. I winced at the bell pierce the empty hallways. My classroom was on the other side of the school.

"Damn it," I muttered before sprinting down the hall. I was turning the corner when I collied with someone coming from the opposite direction. His papers and books went flying, raining down around us when we landed on the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" I gasped, stumbling to get up. In a bit of a daze, the guy propped himself up on his elbows. "I can't believe - _fifth _time - augh!"

I quickly gathered his things while trying to make sure he was okay. I had never seen him before, so either he was new or he was one of the thousand students I'd never met. He was tall and lean, but muscular enough that it was obvious through his navy blue sweater. He had deep mocha skin paired with even darker eyes that were framed with lashes that rivled the Foley twins'. His hair was trimmed very short, showing off his beautifully skulpted features.

"Here," I handed him his things when he stood up. "Once again, I'm really sorry about running into you. I'm late for class again, and I know Lancer will have my hide for it."

"Lancer? I was just trying to find his class," the boy murmured.

"You're new?" Nodding slightly, he glanced at me, actually looking at me instead of the space near me. His eyes widened a bit when he met my eyes. I blinked and smiled at him. The reaction was getting slightly old. My eyes are a rare shade of blue usually not found outside of crayon boxes. I was considering investing in contact lenses that were a nice shade of brown. "Well, welcome to Casper High. I've Dove. I can show you the way to Lancer's classroom if you would like. He'll be nice to you about being late since you're new."

"I would appreciate it."

"Follow me." I led him back down the hallway he had just come down until we reached the very end. A small hallway on the right led directly to the English classrooms. Lancer's was the third on the right. "That is the easiest way to the English hallway. You could also take the more scenic route down the science and detention hallways, but I don't reccommend it unless it's absolutely neccessary. The assistant principal hangs out to give detention to kids showing excessive PDA, loitering, skipping, or standing around with nothing better to do - great, he locked the door again."

I tapped on the door's window pane. Mr. Lancer answered looking annoyed.

"Hi, Mr. Lancer. Sorry about the delay, but I knocked over another student. I have my homework, which I'll leave on your desk as you probably want to introduce him to the class." I slipped in the classroom. Lancer, distracted by the new kid, seemed to forget about my tardiness. I put my neatly printed and stapled essay on his desk before sliding into my seat beside Ceres. A note was sitting there, waiting.

_What happened to you? You just disappeared during lunch. _

_--Sorry, Cer. Echo wouldn't be reasoned with. And then I ran into the new kid - literally._

_Oh, Dove. What am I going to do with you?_

_--Clumsyness is genetic. Looking at my dad, I say there's nothing that can be done.. _

_Oh, wow, you ran into **that **guy?_

_--Navy sweatered kid? Yeah. He was turning the corner at the same time I did. He was nice about it . . . I suppose. He didn't say much. _

_Nothing is better then yelling. But still, he's really cute._

_--Oh, crap! Lancer's giving me the evil eye!_

_Did you get his name?_

_--He nev -_

_Sorry I got you detention, Dove. I didn't think he was looking._

_--Don't worry, I was bound to end up there anyway._

_-_

It turned out the new guy's name was Orion. Ms. Kat had come in during my detention with Lancer. She always came in when I was in there, thank God. I don't know whether or not she did it for my sake, or whether she just liked talking with Lancer. Either way I was grateful. She usually got me out early, as well.

"You have Orion in English? Small world, I have him in my music class. " Ms. Kat made a face. She hates teaching music and doesn't bother hiding that fact from her art students. "He moved from Chicago, correct?"

"Yes, Melena," Mr Lancer told her distractedly.

"Hopefully he'll take art next year. He has a broody air about him – artist material, I'm sure." She frowned at Lancer who was in the middle of reading a paper. "Uncle, are you paying attention to me? Or anyone for that matter?"

"Of course, sweetheart."

"Then," Ms. Kat began, pulling on a strand of hair that had come loose from its knot, "Explain to me why Dove is still here. It's nearly five."

Mr. Lancer's head shot up. "Miss Fenton? What are you still doing here?"

"Just waiting to be dismissed, Sir." I replied. Behind him, Ms. Kat winked, knowing full well that it was barely four thirty.

"You're dismissed," he muttered before going back to work. I packed up my things and headed out.

Detention served, I was free to go home. By this time, my family would be gone. Erik would be out somewhere downtown, mom would be at work, and dad ... well, that would depend on the day and ghost situation.

When I arrived home, there was someone standing on our front steps, staring at the door. She was petite with deep tan skin. Her dark curly hair was pulled back in a low ponytail at the nape of her neck.

"Excuse me?" I said. She jumped and looked at me. "May I help you?"

She stared at me, her green eyes wide. It took her a moment, but she recovered from her surprise. "Oh ... yes. I'm looking for Danny Fenton."

"I'm not sure if he's home at the moment."

"His parents said he might be ... I already called Axion and he wasn't there." She bit her lip nervously.

"Do you know him?"

"I use to," she sighed. Pulling out a notepad and pen, she scribbled something down. She ripped the piece of paper off and handed it to me. A telephone number was on it in rounded script. "Could you please ask him to call me? That's my office number.. Tell him to ask for Valerie Grey." She looked at me for a moment.. "Tell him I'm sorry," she whispered and walked away. I watched her - Valerie – turn the corner before going inside.

I felt confused and a bit shocked. Valerie, from what I had heard, was one of my parents old friends. Dad had liked her back in ninth grade . He had wanted to date her, but it never worked out between them. They reconciled later in high school and remained friends. She and Tucker even dated for a bit . . . But I had never met her. Why?

Because Valerie Grey disappeared nearly twenty years ago.

_---  
Stars lookin' at our planet, watching entropy and pain  
Maybe start to wonder how all the chaos in our lives pass as sane._

_-- Stars by Switchfoot  
--- _

_  
AB25: So, fair, bad, good? Let me know, please! If I can improve upon it, any suggestions would be welcomed. And if anyone has song suggestions, I am trying to put a portion of a song after each chapter . . . how ever loosly linked. _

_Anyway, have a nice weeked, all. :D_

_Anne _


End file.
